Locals call for “immediate pause” to “completely bonkers” 5-mile cycle lane that will threaten the area’s “unique aesthetic and character”, while raising questions over “need for the bike route”

A residents group in Milngavie, Glasgow has urged East Dunbartonshire Council to put an “immediate pause” to a proposed five-mile cycle lane estimated to cost £5 million, as it has the potential to threaten the “unique aesthetic of the area”, as well as its character, while also raising questions about whether the route is even required to be built in the first place for cyclists.

The cycle lane is planned to be built along the Auchenhowie Road, connecting the A81 in Milngavie to the A803 at Torrance. The road itself is surrounded by acres of woodlands, described as “more than just trees — it’s a finely balanced ecosystem of open grassland and water features”, in a video posted on Facebook by a residents group to raise concerns about the bike lane.

The residents also raised questions about the need for the bike lane, with concerns that no proper assessment of the current use or potential use by cyclists has been undertaken.

Finally, there were also claims that the council’s consultation regarding the bike path, held for a month earlier this year, was not comprehensive and thorough with local residents not being spoken to properly — a claim which the SNP-led East Dunbartonshire Council refutes in a statement shared with road.cc, along with also responding to claims of dealing with the environmental impact.

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A Milngavie resident who spoke to Glasgow Live, said: “There are 150 homes along Auchenhowie Road. None of us were approached and neither were the Fairways Association, land management company or the company who own the ground. The consultation has been woeful.”

“We have surveyed thousands of people in the area and no one seems to know about it. It's completely bonkers. This is going to cost at least £5 million and from our assessment that could easily triple that because they haven't put any actual costings. We have experts who are familiar with these types of projects and they have raised serious concerns over it.

“Specialist reports into things like bio-diversity that are needed on projects like this haven't been completed. This is a heritage area so there are parts of the forest that are protected as ancient woodland and they are talking about taking away hundreds of these trees.”

According to the council’s report about the consultation, posters were placed in areas including community centres, Torrance Co-op and Balmore Golf Club, as well as being posted on the council's social media and website. Over the six drop-in sessions, 144 people attended and 306 were surveyed - 54% of these said they 'strongly supported' the plans.

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In a letter to councillors, residents slammed the consultation as ‘inadequate’, stating that events had 'minimal advertising’. The letter reads: “The project threatens the unique aesthetic of the area, particularly the historic tree-lined verges along Auchenhowie Road. The removal of mature trees poses a risk to local wildlife, including protected species such as newts, otters, and possible bats.

“This raises concerns about compliance with regulations and local planning policies aimed at protecting biodiversity and natural heritage.”

Residents said they were concerned the project could be used to ‘pave the way for future housing developments’ and put a strain on local services and the character of the area, pointing to similar projects nearby.

It continues: “Infrastructure developments must align with broader spatial planning to avoid negative impacts on community character and service provision. The proposed changes may worsen existing road safety issues. Junctions and access points are known accident hotspots, with a significant percentage of road traffic accidents occurring near them.

“We are pushing for an immediate pause to this project and call for a re-evaluation of the consultation process. We advocate for an extended public consultation period, a revised survey with better advertising, and a community meeting to ensure broader participation. The wider community’s voice must be considered before proceeding.”

However, locals on social media have shared optimistic opinions about the project. Simon Dick wrote: “There was plenty of consultation months ago — online and presentation stands in Milngavie town hall and Torrance... basically a cycle path along the road, seemed low impact and keeps bikes away from cars on a dodgy road.”

Katie Risk said: “The reality is the earth is burning and we need safer travel routes for bikes and walkers so our reliance on cars reduces. I think the issue here, which is fair, is that the above need for safer cycle walking routes is getting overshadowed by East Dunbartonshire Council’s inept project management… If we had a capable council I think more people would be on board with these ideas.”

Meanwhile, the council has also told road.cc about its public consultation period,  held between 5 February and 3 March 2024. It said: “Various methods of communication were used to inform residents – including a press release, social media messaging and on-street advertising - to ensure as many people as possible had the opportunity to comment.”

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Ann Davie, Chief Executive of East Dunbartonshire Council, said: “Four drop-in sessions were held across the communities on the route where 144 people attended to view the proposals and discuss further with the team.

“A dedicated webpage was created for the project which was viewed over 2,275 times. In total, 306 people provided a survey response with 66% of respondents supporting the overall aims of the project.

“Considering potential impacts on the wider environment and ecology plays a key role within the design development process and various surveys have helped to identify supporting actions the Council and its contractors will be required to follow to mitigate any potential adverse effects. 

“The safety of all road users is paramount within the design development process of the project and a Road Safety Audit is delivered at each key stage of the process.

“With any works which take place on existing road infrastructure, disruption and potential delays are issues which are likely and require careful consideration and management. The Council will work closely with its appointed contractors to plan traffic management in such a way as to minimise disruption to the road network and local travel.”